State Senator Dave Thompson (R-Lakeville), says he won’t run against incumbent U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar in 2012.

“Over the last several weeks many people have encouraged me to take this opportunity seriously,” he said in a press statement. “I have taken their advice, but have decided not to run.”

“The new Senate Republican majority has transformed the discussion and dramatically impacted the direction of policy in this great state,” Thompson added. “Our work has just begun.”

That leaves former state Rep. Dan Severson as Klobuchar’s only challenger. Her approval ratings have been remarkable; for instance a poll conducted in late May shows that 61 percent of Minnesotans approve of the job Klobuchar is doing in Washington.

About the blogger

Catharine Richert covers politics for MPR News, and writes PoliGraph, a fact-checking feature that gets behind the spin in Minnesota politics. She has also contributed to MPR’s coverage of the federal health care overhaul. Catharine joined the MPR newsroom in 2011 after finishing a master’s degree at the U of M’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs. Previously, Catharine worked for PolitiFact.com and Congressional Quarterly. She lives in Rochester with her husband and son.